Various types of concrete wall-forming structures have been employed in the construction industry for forming walls and other structures. The interlocking blocks are assembled and then the hollow formwork is filled with concrete to form a permanent structure.
Examples of such systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,967 to Dielenberg; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,382 and 4,894,969 to Horobin; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,600 to Holland et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,967 to Dielenberg describes an improved formwork element produced from hard foam resin material adapted to be filled with concrete to provide a rigid wall or like structure having high insulating properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,382 to Horobin, (the '382 patent), describes a modular concrete-block form with side panel members and end enclosure panels defining a cavity to receive poured concrete. The '382 patent further includes a plurality of strut members to prevent side-to-side movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,969 to Horobin, (the '969 patent), describes an improved insulating block formed from expandable polystyrene material to provide a lightweight box-like structure to receive concrete. The '969 patent further includes a pair of inserts for each end wall adapted to be mounted to the transverse strut member when the block is required to be cut.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,600 to Holland et al. describes a block for concrete wall construction made of lightweight plastic, having interlocking surfaces and a hollow interior compartment, wherein the interlocking surfaces comprise an inverted V-shaped upper surface and a plurality of cylindrical plugs and the lower surfaces comprise a mirror image thereof. Holland further includes spanner ribs with a U-shaped notch extending through the interior compartment of the block to receive a reinforcing rod. The ends of the blocks are dammed off with U-shaped plugs.
A major problem with the above listed systems is that none of these systems provide a curved side wall for concrete forming of cornices, window sills, lintels, roof overhang wind breaks and related supports and decorative elements used in architectural structures.
A possible solution to this problem is to provide a system that provides a curved side wall for such purposes, by using an interlocking concrete forming block.
Thus, there has been a need in the art for a system that provides a curved side wall for concrete forming of cornices, window sills, lintels, roof overhang wind breaks and related supports and decorative elements used in architectural structures.